Basically, my idea was to separate your personal computing and data from
anything Cisco.
If you run a separated OS (or even several OS) in either:
- a virtual machine
- Wine, hardened preferably
- or another computer,
then even Javascript or the firmwares aren't much of an issue in terms of
privacy.
I'm not a fan of online services also because you can't study much when
offline.
If not needed, I wouldn't spend on Cisco hardware. You might be able to study
most of the features on paper, and maybe there are ways to test it without
owning one during the course.
Plus if you have the cash for Cisco equipment, investing on a dedicated
work/study laptop isn't a bad idea IMO.
I'm not sure how Wine relates to mobility though.
I hope this answers your question.
